Yet Again, MSM Repeats the '90 Percent Lie'

PJM readers are among the best-informed when it comes to various stories involving firearms and crime because the editors employ writers that know firearms and firearms law. Perhaps more importantly, PJM editors and writers put in the effort to find and print the objective facts of a story. This is a not a trait of the increasingly dumbed-down mainstream media, which in this case churned out little more than a quickly re-worded press release.

Yesterday, the San Francisco Chronicle printed a story by Hearst reporter Dan Freedman which uncritically regurgitated a Democratic press release from June 13 as the latest news. It included the “I told you so” arrogance one should expect from today’s under-educated class of journalist, stating:

The claim that Mexican cartels rely on huge stocks of military surplus weaponry from civil wars in Central America is the mantra of pro-gun organizations fearful that linking drug violence to U.S.-purchased weapons could lead to more gun control.

Though gun-rights advocates and at least one prominent U.S. senator ferociously stand by that politically charged theory, federal firearms data show only a tiny percentage originate south of Mexico's border.

Indeed, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and others have cited the Mexico-bound flow of weapons from firearms dealers in border states including Texas and California in arguing for restoring the expired federal assault-weapons ban and other gun restrictions.

In response to a query from Feinstein, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reported last month that of the 29,284 weapons recovered in Mexico and submitted for tracing in 2009 and 2010, a total of 20,504 -- 70 percent -- were "United States-sourced firearms." Virtually all of the remaining weapons were not traceable because insufficient information was submitted.

All of Freedman’s “content” comes from a dishonest claim made in Senator Dianne Feinstein’s dishonest June 13 press release:

About 70 percent of the guns seized in Mexico and submitted to a U.S. gun-tracing program came from the United States, according to a report released by three U.S. senators Monday.

Of the 29,284 firearms recovered by authorities in Mexico in 2009 and 2010, 20,504 came from the United States, according to figures provided to the senators by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Most of those weapons -- 15,131 -- were U.S. made, while another 5,373 were of foreign manufacture but had moved through the United States into Mexico.

The ATF said the remainder of the weapons total -- 8,780 arms -- were of “undetermined origin due to insufficient information provided.”

Freedman is obviously parroting the Feinstein press release and is simply too incurious to investigate the liberal anti-gun senator's claim.

Once again, here is the truth: Far more than 29,284 firearms were recovered in Mexico in 2009-10.

The 29,284 figure only includes those weapons that the Mexican police and military recovered, inspected, and determined possibly could have come from the United States, and then submitted to the U.S. for tracing. But far more weapons were recovered, inspected, and determined to come from Central American or Mexican government stockpiles or from the black market (primarily from Asia).

President Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, and Hillary Clinton originally championed the 90 percent lie. Which has now become the 70 percent lie, which is better, but still not close to the eight percent truth.

Freedman is misinforming his readers, attempting to shape their worldview based upon a dishonest representation of the facts. More insidiously, Freedman is using widely debunked data to undermine those who actually understand the issue.

He intends to undermine the firearms experts and research academics who understand the issue and the facts and who have pushed back against politically motivated presidential speeches, congressional reports, and the mainstream media’s complacent reporting of the same.